Defiance

***1/2 Stars

Defiance is a fantastic film, one that reaps the benefits of historical accuracy to the advantage of professional filmmaking. Since The Last Samurai, Edward Zwick has become a misunderstood and unappreciated director. How this film received mixed reviews is beyond me.

The first thirty minutes of Defiance is a masterpiece. It introduces the Bielski brothers, a Jewish family whose parents were killed by the driving Nazi regime during World War II. Following moments of revenge and emotional lapses, the brothers are forced into the Belarusian Forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and thousands of other Jewish survivors. Tuvia (Daniel Craig in top form) the eldes of the brothers, Zus (an electrifying Liev Schreiber), and Asael (Jamie Bell) use their strong bond for one another to push their survival towards a distant and optimistic end.

Zwick never takes us out of the woods and keeps with the survivors on the ground. Now this doesn't mean the film itself is flat by any means. We are trapped with the characters on a level of isolation, trying to break the surrounding sense of evil. The Nazi's come from the outside in, viciously attacking the Jew's without warning. You will feel for ever death and weep for every loss. Defiance translates to the screen as a story of community and entangled loyalty that has echoed throughout world history.

The film demands your attention to the details of cultural interactions as humans face the verge of unprecedented extinction. It flirts with Hollywood antics (the final battle scene feels a bit staged) but it never reduces itself to formula. Zwick pushes entertainment into an incredible story, creating a film of continuous praise that it has yet to receive.

Gran Torino

*** Stars

Clint Eastwood has picked the perfect role for his final acting performance. Playing Walt Kowalski, he nostalgically gives homage to all his past roles. This is what Dirty Harry would be like if he retired in a modern American suburb.

While Eastwood's showcase is a complete success, it also brings out the failures of Gran Torino too. The film is all Eastwood and nothing more. All supporting performances are mostly weak and the subplots tend to linger. This is really just a film to celebrate Eastwood's remarkable career.

With that, I am saddened that Eastwood missed out on a Best Actor nomination for his performance as Walt. It's as strong of a portrayal that he's ever given. And hell, the man is pushing 80 years old and I know he can still kick my ass. Along with yours.

Walt is a racist old fart who spends his days fixing things and drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon. After the passing of his wife, Walt is alone in a neighborhood that's no longer his. He is surrounded by other ethnicity's, one's that he has, to put nicely, never been particularly fond of. Let's just say I learned a lot of new curse words from this film.

He soon befriends his young Asian neighbor, Thao, who tries to steal Walt's Gran Torino for a gang initiation act. He puts him to work (not by choice, Thao's sister insists) to fix things around his house. Throughout their relationship, Walt begins to realize that times have changed and he is nearing his end.

Gran Torino is a study of cultural differences and the maturity of modern society. The rise of gangs around this neighborhood is an eerie image of a forceful flood of violence venting into their unwanted territories.

I very much liked Gran Torino. I liked it's ability to stay grounded inside an isolated area, I adore Eastwood's performance, and I even liked Walt's philosophical conversations with a young priest. It's too bad though that I didn't love this movie. Was it because of my high expeectations? Probably. But come on, I can't think of anything less when it comes to one of the greatest icons in film history.

The Wrestler

**** Stars

The Wrestler is the best film of 2008.

I thought Revolutionary Road was a lock for the #1 spot, and although its equally worthy, The Wrestler is something we have never seen before. Not only does it have the greatest performance of the year (the comeback of Mickey Rourke) but it is also one of the most emotionally involving character studies I have ever seen. This is proof that director Darren Aronofsky (one of my favorite directors, obviously) has the ability to shift from flashy visuals to character substance without any signs of uncertainty. The Fountain was the best film of 2006 and The Wrestler is the best film of 2008. Darren, you amaze me.

This is the portrait of Randy "The Ram" Robinson (real name Robin Ramzinski), a fictitious professional wrestler nearing the end of his career. When he has a heart attack after a brutal match, he is forced to retire. Through this, Randy begins to question his existence and reclaim what he lost during his years as a bad father and mediocre friend. He asks himself how after all his ups and downs, he finds himself living alone in a trailer park. Wrestling is the only thing he knows and the only place (the ring) he can truly live. The most brutal parts of this film are not the violent matches, but the emotional journey back to a life he cannot control.

Marisa Tomei is fantastic as Cassidy, a stripper and Randy's only true friend. As the two interact, we learn that there is more to Cassidy than just a stripper looking for money. Both of these characters are real humans dealing with real life issues and Aronofsky displays them as the utmost, down-to-earth characters you will see all year. Not one scene is wasted or faltered, which allows viewers to forget that they are watching a movie. Even the low budget of this film gives authenticity to the actors in it.

Rourke does more than just emotional acting here. Before principal photography, Rourke trained for four months to learn how to wrestle and embody the stamina a wrestler faces during every match. Every move he makes in that ring is an astonishing feat in physical acting. Combining physicality and emotional brutality, Rourke has a lock for an Oscar nomination and if everything goes the way it should, his first Oscar win.

When Randy says this line to his daughter he abandoned years prior (played wonderfully by Evan Rachel Wood): "I'm an old broken down piece of meat and I deserve to be all alone, I just don't want you to hate me," I immediately knew that Mickey Rourke as Randy "The Ram" Robinson was giving the performance of the year, his career, and a lifetime. The Wrestler is an odyssey, one that stands the test of time in every person that has gone through the pain of being unable to rediscover the nostalgic memories that we all desire once again.

Revolutionary Road

**** Stars

Revolutionary Road is everything I could have hoped for and more. Every scene is electric, every line is heartbreaking, and every action is carried by another that leads its leading couple down a path of self-destruction. Revolutionary Road is a timeless American film that digs deep into your personal life without your written consent.

Leonardo Dicaprio and Kate Winslet play Frank and April Wheeler, a married couple living in 1950's suburb without any sign of escape. Escape from what you ask? Well I can't vouch for the Wheeler's because I didn't live through the 50's, but from an outside perspective, the Wheeler's are living one of my biggest nightmares. They have retired from life, from living, and from feeling any kind of wondrous spontaneity. They have also lost the moment that made them realize they were meant for each other.

Director Sam Mendes, who in my mind is becoming a very underrated director (he is not a one-hit wonder with American Beauty) has crafted a brilliant character study. Frank works in the city for ten hours a day at a job he can't stand. April is a housewife and retired actress raising two kids and going insane in the process. After almost losing it all in a fight after one of April's abysmal plays, they decide to risk everything and attempt to move to Paris. Paris represents the escape and wonderment from a reality that's breathing way too heavily down the couple's neck. Once they get there, April will work for the government as a secretary and Frank will try and find himself. It's the perfect plan and perfect future, until things get in the way. April gets pregnant again and that bright and shining escape dims away into an everlasting darkness.

The film evolves as a trainwreck, but it's never a film that is hard to watch because every shot and scene is so perfectly executed. Not for one second does this feel like Titanic 2. I was really afraid that people were going to view this as Jack and Rose together after the honeymoon stage ended, but it hasn't. And I am so glad! This is one the greatest films of the decade.

And I stand by that statement. Even though The Wrestler is my #1 film of the year, this one is equally worthy. It has been one hell of a season for movies, and Revolutionary Road is a monumental aspect of it. Winslet and Dicaprio are mesmerizing and Michael Shannon deserves a best supporting actor nomination for his role as a mentally unstable son in the Wheeler's neighborhood. But what if he is the only one who gets life? Ponder that while watching the film.

I am sad because this film probably won't receive a best picture nomination, but maybe that's how it should be. Revolutionary Road never takes the stage, it haunts you behind a curtain that is forever waiting to be opened.

Marley and Me/Yes Man

The Christmas season is one of the biggest times for movies. The two biggest commercially are Marley and Me and Yes Man, each with signs of success but where one outweighs the other. Yes Man is a very mild success only (and I mean only) because of Jim Carrey and Marley and Me is a special treat for canine lovers and moviegoers alike. Those who flock to these movies will be those specifically looking for what they crave. For Yes Man, it's a reminder of old school Jim Carrey. For Marley and Me, it's a tearjerker packaged in wrapping paper with a big red bow shinning ever so brightly. In a last minute choice, I'd take the lovable canine labeled as the world's worst dog. It's a uniquely cute story that fits perfectly for the holiday season. Families: You've been briefed.

Marley and Me: *** Stars
Yes Man: **1/2 Stars

Valkyrie

**** Stars

I've put up with it for years, but now with Valkyrie, this needs to be said to all the Tom Cruise haters out there: STOP.

Stop hating Tom Cruise the actor just because Tom Cruise the person is crazy. Stop hating Tom Cruise the actor because it's the cool thing to do. Stop hating Tom Cruise the actor for thinking that he plays the same role in every movie. Stop hating Tom Cruise the actor because in fact, he hasn't made a bad movie in over a decade and a half. With Valkyrie, Tom Cruise the actor is in top form in one of the best films of the year. 

Tom Cruise is fantastically structured in Bryan Singer's intensifying World War II Nazi Thriller. Playing the infamous man who attempted to kill Hitler, Colonel Claus Von Stauffenberg, Cruise plays him with conviction and maturity. However, what ads wonders to the film is the supporting cast behind the star, including Bill Nighy, Kenneth Branagh, and Tom Wilkinson. Even though none speak in a German accent (in fact some are British), they are still fantastic performances. I mean they have to be right? When they are completely convincing as Nazis speaking in the completely wrong accents?

Director Bryan Singer has crafted one of the most taut and tightly built films of the year. The first twenty minutes is electrifying. A small attempt to kill Hitler is acted out by two Germans by putting an explosive in a liquor case that will be shipped on the same plane as Hitler will travel on. After the device fails to go off, the two are forced to retrieve the liquor case back from the plane while all the while the explosive could still be set off. I was on the edge of my seat throughout this scene, and after that, the entire film.

This is the most underrated film of the year. I will leave asking you this question: If Tom Cruise wasn't the star, would you like the movie? If you have to think about it for second, so be it, but just think about that question, and then judge the film objectively. 

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

**** Stars

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is an experiment of time and a celebration of movies. It explores the territories of love through poetic curiosity. At nearly three hours, this is an epic throwback to classic filmmaking with a pinch of new school antics. You do not want to miss this one.

Brad Pitt gives a perfectly subtle performance in a film that analyzes life in a natural process. Life is not always fast-paced and director David Fincher respects this aspect while still entertaining the absolute hell out of the audience. Pitt plays the title character who is born old and slowly progresses into a younger and younger person. In the middle, he falls in love with Daisy (Cate Blanchett) and the two share a nostalgic love affair that lasts as long as possible given Benjamin's condition. Through time, he becomes a baby. This is all I will say about the plot of this movie. 

Why? Because the film is an exercise of realism sprinkled into a fantasy world with an unrestricted imagination. It's a story of a person's life with no focus on any particular event. It would be like describing the plot to one's life. Why would I want to ruin its wondrous unpredictability?

What you can take from The Curious Case of Benjamin Button is a reason to keep an imagination fresh and down to earth. Just because someone ages backwards does not mean they are any less human. I know it sounds insane and incoherent, but this film does such an outstanding job of keeping this lyrical fantasy realistic to the emotions of human morality. It's funny, touching, tragic, brilliantly directed, and alive with the flowing melody of humanistic livelihood. 

Casey's Films

Great news. I have just completed my first semester at Emerson College. It was a great first semester, as I learned a lot of new information on film technology and writing. I have completed a few projects here the I would like to share:



FLEDGLING LURE: A suspenseful six-minute drama surrounding two friends caught up in their poorly-executed kidnapping of an innocent girl. The stakes are raised when one friend begins to question the morality of their actions. With little time remaining from being discovered, the two friends suffer from the consequences of not thinking before they act. Fledgling, meaning beginner in activity, defines the personalities of the two friends as they are lured into unknown territories of criminal existence. Written by: Hunter Miles
Edited by: Nick Keating
Produced and Directed by: Casey LaMarca, Hunter Miiles, and Nick Keating

Starring:
Casey LaMarca as John
Thomas Haggerty as Tom
Hunter Miles as The Cop
Natalie Krebs as Tina

A Chaotic Melody: This is a one minute musical image of a city under chaotic circumstances while also having the potential to be something beautiful. A city can be a wondrous place, but themes of crime and darkness can cloud someone's mind.

The Day the Earth Stood Still

** Stars

Keanu Reeves returns to the genre that made him famous. We didn't ask for an encore.

Keanu Reeves, I feel bad for you. I don't know why but for some reason I do. You seem to be a nice guy who shows up on set ready to work. But why do you fail to capture human emotions on screen? I know this time around you're playing an alien, but you still haven't convinced me that you're a movie star. The Matrix and Speed are two of my favorite blockbusters and you succeeded in those films, but I think now is the time for someone to say this to you: Either try something different, or stop making movies.

The Day the Earth Stood Still is not a good film. It sucks, actually. And I hate to see Jennifer Connelly stuck inside a film that won't even let her breathe the way she wants to. The movie is a sequence of paralyzed frames that capture some astounding visuals, but avoid any chance of exploring the abstract.

The movie is based off the 1951 original film. Reeves plays Klaatu, an alien who captures a human body to explore Earth's chances of saving his species. He's here to save the Earth. Not humans.

That's actually a really interesting concept to explore in our day and age. There are moments where we see chances of great debate. However, the film becomes preachy the second Klaatu is captured and held for question by the government. It's a way of telling us that our government cares more about National Security than exploring the unknown. I love the idea, but the execution feels extremely elementary.

The government is represented by the Secretary of Defense played by Kathy Bates, who looks completely and utterly bored. When Klaatu escapes custody with the help of Dr. Helen Benson (Connelly), the two begin to find a way to stop the attack that seems to be dooming the world. Jaden Smith plays Helen's stepson Jacob, who loses all the respect that I gave him for The Pursuit of Happyness. The kid is really freaking annoying. Although I admit that his character has little structure to follow anyways. Whatever, don't really care at this point.

I'll admit that the film is visually spectacular, the first twenty minutes is exciting and attention-grabbing, and the idea of remaking the original seemed very timely. Sadly, this instantly forgettable remake is reduced to the level of cinema that critics and audiences are forced to sit through time and time again.

Frost/Nixon

**** Stars

"I'm saying that when the President does something that means it's not illegal." -Richard Nixon

The powerful words from the once-powerful man hint at the questionable motives behind the most powerful job in the world. What could be timelier than that?

Frost/Nixon is one of the most exciting films of the year and not one bullet has to fly on screen to earn it. Ron Howard has always been a wonderful filmmaker and to see him give us one of his best movies in years is a true gift of mature cinema. The story is simple and complex, funny and sad, and important without preaching a side of political preference.

When Richard Nixon resigned from office in 1974, he hid in the shadows from the media for three years. In 1977, the ex-President and most wanted man in America (even though he was pardoned from Gerald Ford) finally broke his silence and agreed to sit down and discuss the years that defined his legacy. He chose David Frost (a fantastic Michael Sheen) as his medium to the public. Frost, known for his playboy antics, thought this would be the perfect ratings boost he needed to secure himself as a media sensation. Nixon felt that someone who lacked political bite would be the perfect prey for him to gain back his popularity from the entire world. Is this David vs. Goliath or what?

The first hour of Frost/Nixon is a funny historical lesson in the eyes of journalism. The transition from David Frost the entertainer to David Frost the journalist is an outstanding feat that deserves a bonafide celebration. Ron Howard seems to be having a blast behind the camera on this film because everything on screen feels so natural. Plus he has over four or five actors from his previous films (mainly Apollo 13). On that note, it's great to see Kevin Bacon back in a role that suits his strong acting persona.

I am proud to note that I am rambling on the praise of this film. And now I shall continue.

Frank Langella as Nixon, like Josh Brolin as George W. Bush, is more than just an impression. He embodies the character as a man of substance. Of course Nixon was one of the worst (if not the worst) Presidents in American history, but the film focuses on Nixon as a human being. After all, he is one just like the rest of us.

And people forget to remember that. With so much information in history books and media stories covering him as a figure larger than life, Nixon is still a human, one who expresses the sheer emotions of a depressed man at the end of his regretful road. When the interviews finally take place in the final hour of the film, audiences will be on the edge of their seats waiting to hear the words he should have said the minute those men broke into the infamous hotel. Frost/Nixon's reenactment of this is an absolutely thrilling engagement of American history and one of the year's best films.

Australia

*** Stars

When I first saw Australia three days ago, I left the theater feeling disappointed. I kept wondering how Baz Luhrmann was unable deliver a coherent narrative inside an almost three hour runtime. It jumps from a love story, to a sweeping epic, to a telling of mystical lands, to melodrama, and finally lands with a forty minute Pearl Harbor like action-extravaganza.

Whew.

With an A-list cast and such a fabulous production design, I expected Luhrmann, one of my favorite directors (mainly because of Romeo and Juliet) to give us the best movie of the year. On that line, he has failed. Miserably. But I don't think he's the one to blame. Australia, the version I saw, is not complete. After bad test screenings with its ending, Luhrmann went back and changed it. He has worked on this project for years, and although I understand that a release date is important, Luhrmann seemed to have been forced into releasing a movie he wasn't ready to release.

Three days after seeing Australia, I sit here at my computer writing my review. Those three days have given me time to reflect on the positive and negative aspects of the film. Even though the word disappointment lingered in my mind, I found that I was remembering more positive moments than negative.

What sticks out has to be the visuals. In Aristotle's elements of drama, visual spectacle ranks as the least important. While I tend to agree with this hierarchical order, Australia has to be one of the most beautifully shot films of the decade. Luhrmann is a natural when it comes to experimental camera movements. The auteur inside of him is begging to be heard.

The movie is set in 1939 after Hitler invades Poland. Nicole Kidman stars as Lady Sarah Ashley, a proper English woman from society's higher class who heads to Australia to protect her husband's property. After his death, she learns of a possible takeover plot towards her land. That's when she meets Drover (Hugh Jackman), the rugged frontiersman she falls for. For the rest of the film, the two are involved in the hysteria of World War II (The attack of Darwin, Australia right after Pearl Harbor), chases from bad guys who want Ashley's land, and a love story that hits melodrama on several occasions.

The best scene of the movie is one of the best scenes I have seen all year. There is a stampede sequence involving a 2,000 head of cattle that is almost worth the price of admission alone. This scene (close to ten minutes long) is blended by CGI and outer landscapes that distinguishes Baz Luhrmann as an old-fashioned visionary with a hint of technological genius.

However, from an overall standpoint, unless you're a fan of Baz or Hugh Jackman, many moviegoers will feel cheated and exhausted after an almost full three hours. To name an Eclectic Collective song I love, Australia is a "Beautiful Mess".